Our Muslim brothers and sisters may soon enjoy not just halal-produced foods but also Philippine-made halal cosmetics and toiletries.
The Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) signed a memorandum of agreement with the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman for the project, “Bench-scale Production, Safety Assessment and Market Research of Halal Cosmetics and Toiletries.”
The engagement began on May 17 and will end on October 31, according to Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña in his weekly online program, DOST Report.
Under the project, the DOST-ITDI Halal Cosmetics and Toiletries Research and Development (R&D) Team will provide 50 sets of halal-compliant products, such as moisturizing lipstick and lip balm, shampoo with hair-growth promoting properties, whitening and moisturizing bath soap, and whitening herbal toothpaste.
The products were developed from the completed project, “Establishment of Halal-Compliant Standardized Process and Assurance System for Cosmetics and Toiletries,” a component of the DOST Halal S&T program.
The project was funded by the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development.
On the other hand, UP Diliman will conduct market research on the developed halal-compliant products.
UP Diliman researchers will determine demand potential among consumers—market size, segmentation, potential positioning of Halal cosmetics, price sensitivity, placement points—and identify likely manufacturers, including cost-sensitivity and product competitiveness.
De la Peña said the partnership aims to promote the DOST-ITDI-developed technologies and determine the consumers’ priority needs in terms of sensory attributes and specifications to improve the standardized formulated halal-compliant products.
An earlier news report in BusinessMirror said that demand for halal cosmetics is expected to soar in the following years.
It cited verification, testing and certification company SGS which said that global demand for halal cosmetics is surging, and the market is expected to exceed $53.81 billion by 2025 from an estimated $16.32 billion in 2015.
The Asia-Pacific region dominates the market, representing roughly three-fourths of the market’s overall revenue in 2015. The Middle East and Africa region follows with 17 percent of total revenue.
While these markets are predicted to grow significantly in the next few years, all markets are expected to grow with online sales estimated to grow by 18.2 percent by 2022, SGS said.
And while Muslims make up an estimated 23 percent of the world population, it is not only Muslims who buy halal cosmetics, but an increasing number of non-Muslims, as well.
“With a growing interest in eco-ethical conscious products affecting markets all around the world, terms such as ‘vegan’ and ‘organic’ are increasingly adding a premium price to a product,” SGS said. “‘Halal’ is seen by many as a comparable term because it offers an assurance that the product is safe to consume and use and has been manufactured to high and specific quality standards.”
Part of the attraction of halal cosmetics is the rigorous regulations for their production, many of which mirror non-Muslim regulations and consumer demand. In addition to the obligations under Sharia law, halal cosmetics must also refrain from using ingredients listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Halal products must not contain human parts, animals forbidden for Muslims to consume (e.g., pork and boar), animals not slaughtered according to Sharia law, Najiis or filth (e.g., fluids and objects discharged from human or animal bodies, such as urine, blood, vomit), harmful foods, and alcoholic drinks and intoxicants.